Device for mending runs in fabrics



y 1, 1934- J. MESSING 1, ,960

DEVICE FOR MENDING RUNS IN FABRICS Filed Jul s. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jdforrz ey ay 1934- J. MESSING 1,956,960

DEVICE FOR MENDING' RUNS IN FABRICS Filed July 8. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jmveraor L705 z zi/t MlSZW Jforney Patented May 1, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

My invention relates to a device for assisting in the operation of hand mending needles for mending runs in knitted fabric, particularly hosiery.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which will reduce the amount of training and skill required for a person to learn to operate mending needles such as are now in general use. Diificulty has been experienced by learners in the art of repairing fabrics by the use of hand needles, due to the failure to hold the needle loosely and at the proper angle relatively to the fabric. An inexperienced person, with the assistance of my invention, can repair runsin fabrics without extended instructions. The danger of the needle dropping loops or stitches, due to the needle not being held properly is overcome by my device.

A further object is to provide a device in which the needle is freely pivoted upon a movable member, which may be manually reoiprocated, and upon which member the needle may swing freely, without restriction by the hand of the operator, and the needle may assume the proper angle relatively to the fabric, in which it may be automatically advanced by the loops as they are successively formed in the fabric.

' A further object is to provide a standard mounted upon a base, in which standard the movable member may be reciprocated in a fixed course, or path, by motion applied by hand to said member.

A further object is to provide a work holder upon which the portion of the fabric to be mended, may be stretched, and also provide means upon the base for properly locating the Work holder in relation to the movable member, so that the pivotal connection between the needle and said member will always move in the proper relation to the fabric, and the needle may swing upon said connection within the proper angles which will permit the needle to be automatically fed throughout the length of the run within the limits of the portion of the fabric which is upon the work holder.

A further object is to provide a work holder which is rotatably mounted upon the base whereby the run in the fabric may be readily brought into alignment with the plane in which the needle and the movable member are movable.

A further object is to provide a mending device which is simple in construction and which can be manufactured at a low cost.

These together with various other novel features of construction and arrangement of the (o1. se -1.5)

parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed, constitute my invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Fig.

1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my device showing a portion of the work holder, the movable member, and the needle in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 isv a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a different form of movable member.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts, 5 represents a base, having feet 6 upon which the base is supported in a horizontal position. Upon the base is formed a standard 8, or a standard 9 as shown in Fig. 3.

A movable member is mounted in'the standard, Z0 which in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of an arm 10 pivoted in the standard 8 by means of a pivot pin 12. In the form shown in Fig. 3 the movable member consists of a rod 14 which is movably mounted in a head 15 formed upon the standard 9.

A needle 16, having a point or hook 17, a latch 18, and a shank 19, is provided for operating upon the fabric for forming the loops, in a manner well known in the art. The shank 19 is secured in a holder 20, having a pivotal connection between the needle and the movable member, comprising a pin 21.

The pin 21 passes through an aperture formed transversely through the holder 20, at the end thereof opposite to that carrying the needle. The needle is freely pivoted by means of the pin 21 upon the arm 10, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or upon the sliding rod 14, shown in Fig. 3.

A work holder in the form of a tube 24 is provided for holding the fabric 25, indicated by dotted lines upon the holder. The fabric is stretched over the top end of the tube and tightly held by the fingers, as illustrated.

The base is provided with a circular flange 26, or 27, over which the work holder 24 is placed for, properly locating the latter upon the base, so that the fabric upon the holder will always be located in the proper relation to the movable member so that the needle, which is loosely pivoted upon the latter, will form the loops automatically when the member is reciprocated.

The work holder 24 is rotatable upon the flange 26 or 2'7formed upon the base, so that the length of the run in the fabric may be brought into alignment with the plane, in which the movable member and the needle are movable, by simply rotating the holder 24 upon the flange of the base.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a base having a flange 26 formed by upstanding fingers 29 pressed from the sheet metal of which the base is formed. The standard 8, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed of side plates 30 and 31, pressed from the base plate. The side plates 30 and 31 form guides between which the arm 10 may reciprocate upon the pivot pin 12 in a vertical plane, relatively to the horizontal base.

The movable member, or rod 14, shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a handle, or finger grip 32. The member 14 is also provided with an elongated key way 33, which is occupied by a key,

in the form of a screw 34, secured in the head 15 of the bearing 9, for keeping the member 14 from turning in said head. By this means for mounting the rod 14 in the head 15, and the pivot pin 21, for mounting the needle upon the rod 14, the needle will-always swing in a plane perpendicular to the base and to the fabric, and the latch 18 of the needle will be maintained on the upper side of the needle for properly engaging the cross threads of the fabric. The needle 16 may be any of the well known forms of mending needles now in general use.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The fabric is stretched over the open end of the work holder 24 and held by the fingers of the operator, as indicated. The holder 24 is rotated upon the flange of the base until the run aligns with the vertical plane in which the needle and movable member may be reciprocated. The needle is inserted through a loop of the fabric, or a new loop is formed in the manner well known in the art. The arm 10, or the radii, are reciprocated manually, thus moving the needle through the fabric and forming the loops in the threads successively. As the loops are formed the needle will guide itself over the looped threads and be automatically advanced to the position shown in dot and dash lines. The fabric may be moved and adjusted to a new position upon the holder 24, when the needle reaches the end of the portion of the run which is upon the holder. By moving the fabric upon the holder the needle will be returned to the position shown in full lines.

The flange for holding the work holder 20 upon the base is located at the proper distance from the standard, in which the movable member is mounted, to insure the needle always being reciprocated at the proper angles, relatively to the surface of the fabric, as shown in full and dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

The tube forming the work holder is made the proper length so that the fabric will be held at the proper height relatively to the base, whereby the needle will be positioned within the limits of movement to insure the ,loops being properly formed, and the needle being automatically advanced-over the fabric as the loops are formed.

Various other changes in the construction and operation of the device may be made without departing from my invention.

I claim;-

1. A device for repairing runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard rigidly mounted upon the base, a member movably mounted upon the standard, a needle having means for looping the threads of the fabric, pivot means upon said member forming a pivotal connection between said member and the needle upon which the latter is free to swing independently of the standard, said standard and said member arranged to support and guide the pivoted end of the needie in a given course of travel relatively to the base.

2. A device for repairing runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard rigidly mounted upon the base, a member movably mounted upon the standard, a mending needle, a work holder upon the base for supporting the fabric to be mended, a pivotal connection between said member and the needle upon which the latter is free to swing relatively to the. standard, said standard and said member arranged to support and guide the pivoted end of the needle in a given course of travel relatively to the work holder.

3. A device for repairing runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard rigidly mounted upon the base, a work holder upon the base for supporting the fabric to be mended, a member mov ably mounted upon the standard, a mending needle, a shank upon the needle, a pivotal connection between said member and the shank upon which connection the needle is free to swing relatively to the standard and automatically advance over the fabric as the loops are successively formed, and said standard and said member arranged to support and guide the pivoted end of the shank of the needle in a given course of travel relatively to the work holder.

4. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a base, a work holder upon the base for supporting the fabric to be mended, a movable member, a standard upon the base in which said member is guided in a plane perpendicular to the base and extending in alignment with the standard and the work holder, a mending needle,

and a pivot pin upon said member forming a pivotal connection between the needle and said member, upon which pin the needle is free to swing independently of the standard;

5. A device for mending runs'in fabric comprising, a base, a work holder upon the base for supporting the fabric to be mended, a movable member, a standard upon the base in which said member is guided in a plane perpendicular to the base andextending in alignment with the standard and the work holder, a mending needle,

. a pin upon said member forming a pivotal conmotion between the needle and said member upon which pin the needle is free to swing independently of the standard, and the said pin having its axis located at right angles to said plane in which said member is movable.

6. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard upon the base, a member reciprocably guided in the standard, a mending needle, a pivotal connection between the needle and said member upon which connection the needle is free to swing unrestricted by the standard, a work holder for supporting the fab ric to be mended, and a flange upon the base for locating the work holder relatively to the standard.

'7. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard upon the base, a member reciprocablymounted in the standard, a mending needle, a pivotal connection between the needle and said member, a tubular work holder for supporting the fabric to be mended, and a circular flange upon the base upon which said holder is rotatably mounted.

8. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a base, an arm, a pivot pin upon the base, said arm pivotally mounted upon said' pin, a pivotal connection between the needle and the arm upon which last mentioned connection the needle is free to swing, independently of the base, and said base and said arm arranged to support and guide the pivoted end of the needle in a given course of travel relatively to the base.

9. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a mending needle, a base, an arm, a standard upon the base in which the arm is pivotally mounted and guided in a vertical plane relatively to the base, pivot means upon the arm forming a pivotal connection between the needle and the arm upon which last mentioned connection the needle is free to swing upon the arm, unrestricted by the standard, and said standard and said arm arranged to support and guide the pivoted end of the needle in a given course of travel relatively to the base.

10. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a mending needle, a shank forming part of the needle, a base, a standard upon the base, an arm, a pin in the standard upon which one end of the arm is pivoted, a pin upon the opposite end of the arm having its axis in parallel relation to the first mentioned pin and upon which said shank is pivotally mounted and free to swing unrestricted by the standard, a work, holder, means upon the base to receive said holder, said means located in fixed relation to the standard, said standard and arm arranged to support and guide the pivoted shank in a given course of travel relatively to the work holder.

11. A device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a mending needle, a shank forming part of the needle, a holder in which the shank is secured, a base, a standard upon the base, an arm, side plates forming part of the standard between which plates the arm is positioned, a pin pivotally connecting the arm with the side plates of the standard, a pin upon the opposite end of the arm relatively to the first mentioned pin and upon which the holder carrying the .needle is pivotally mounted and free to swing independently of the standard, a work holder upon which the fabric is supported, and means upon the base for engaging the work holder.

12. In a device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a base, a standard rigidly mounted upon the base, a rod slidably mounted in the standard, a mending needle, a pivotal connection between the rod and the needle, and said standard and said rod arrangedto support and guide the pivoted end of the needle in a given course of travel relatively to the base.

13. In a device for mending runs in fabric comprising, a baseha standard upon the base, a rod slidably mounted v in the standard, a mending needle, a pivotal connection between the rod and the needle, a work holder for holding the fabric'to be mended, and means positioned upon the base in alignment with the longitudinal axis or the rod arranged for engagement with the work holder.

14. In a device for mending runs in fabric coma standard upon the base, a head prising, a base, upon the standard, a rod slidably mounted in said head, a mending needle, a pin forming a pivotal connection between one end of the rod and the needle, means upon the head inoperative engagement with the rod for limiting the rotation of the rod, a work holder for supporting the fabric to be mended, and engaging means upon the base for locating the work holder adjacent to the needle.

' JOSEPH MESSING.

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